Until the 15th of January.

At Jaime Moniz Secondary School.

This exhibition is part of an itinerant project developed by the Madeira Etnographic Museum, under the Regional Secretariat for Economy, Tourism, and Culture. For several years, this initiative has been part of the outreach programme “O Museu Vai à Rua”. 

Each year, the museum organises various exhibitions, designed to be easily transported, focusing on the themes of Madeira’s Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage. These exhibitions are presented to the public in different institutions, aiming to decentralise cultural outreach and reach diverse audiences across various municipalities, therefore looking to conquer all audiences.

In Madeira, the Christmas celebrations - popularly referred to as “The Festival” - are experienced with great enthusiasm and intensity. Festivities traditionally begin on the 8th of December, day of the Immaculate Conception, followed by the nine “Missas do Parto” (Childbirth Mass), held from the 16th of December until Christmas Eve, symbolising the Virgin Mary’s nine months of pregnancy.

When it comes to the Festival’s traditional gastronomy, the “matança do porco” (slaughter of the pig) marks the start of preparations for this important annual event, taking place shortly after the Holy Day of the 8th of December.

Parts of the animal was consummed during the season, while the rest was preserved, becoming sausages, carne vinha-de-alhos, (pork marinated in garlic and wine), pork cracklings, salted meat and lard, to be consumed throughout the year. This tradition stems from the substitence needs of families, seen as though, in past times, the Festival’s pork was often the only meat in the population’s diet.

 During this time, agricultural work in rural areas slowed down to make way for preparing the Festival’s delicacies.

 After this, the families would make liqueurs by infusing fruit, bake traditional sweets such as Madeiran sugar cane honey cake, “broas de mel” (Madeiran sugar cane honey biscuits), Madeiran Family Cake with Spices and Dried Fruits (bolo de família), black cake (Madeiran black cake). Preparations concluded with the kneading of bread on Christmas Eve and the assembly of the “lapinha” (traditional Nativity scene).